1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices used to aid in the removal of casts.
2. Description of Related Art
Casts normally comprise a hard outer shell (usually made of fiberglass or plaster) and soft, cushy cast padding (such as gauze, pre-formed cast padding, and/or a stockinet) beneath it. The purpose of the hard outer shell is to immobilize and protect the body part being the cast. The purpose of cast padding is two-fold. First, it provides a comfortable interface between the outer shell and the patient's skin. Second, it provides protection from a cast saw during cast removal.
The typical cast saw uses an oscillating blade designed to cut through hard substances while causing little damage to pliable materials that move with the oscillating saw blade, such as cast padding or a patient's skin. While oscillating blades work relatively well in most cast removal applications, periodically more pressure is applied than necessary with the cast saw and the blade penetrates the cast padding, cutting or burning the patient's skin below. In addition, some cast padding shift with the cast saw blade more readily than others. Those that tend not to shift are less forgiving of additional pressure applied during cast removal. Finally, there are particular casting applications, such as in so-called direct or total contact casting, where a patient's skin is particularly vulnerable. Where a cast is applied with little or no cast padding, the risk of cutting or burning the patient has proven to be significant.
Currently, there are a variety of products utilized in an attempt to avoid cutting or burning the patient during cast removal. A common approach is to use a long, flat, thin plastic or metal devices that is inserted beneath the cast at the time of cast removal. One such device is commercially available from W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff Ariz., under the trademark ZIP STICK. These devices are designed to protect the skin from the cast saw blade. They are, however, difficult to insert between the skin and the cast. In particular, bony areas like the wrist or ankle are typically so snug that these devices often will not fit in that portion of the cast. In addition, there are places that are inaccessible by these devices due to the length of the cast (for example, long leg casts are generally longer than these devices).
Other approaches to protect a patient's skin from cast removal tools have also been attempted, with little success. For example, it is common to increase the amount of cast padding under the outer shell to provide better buffer from poor cutting techniques. Additionally, subsequent to the present invention it has been suggested to the present inventors that a strip of hook-and-loop material (such as VELCRO.RTM.) may be used within a cast to provide a cutting substratum. Unfortunately, these approaches have been largely unsuccessful. First, these materials provide little or no cut-through resistance when exposed to a cast saw. Accordingly, any additional protection is dependent upon the added materials providing greater distance between the cast saw and the patient's skin. Second, adding additional padding to increase the distance between the cast outer shell and the patient's skin is not a viable option in instances where little to no cast padding is used (e.g., total contact casts).
In light of the foregoing, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide a means for effectively protecting a patient's skin during cast removal.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a means for protecting a patient's skin during cast removal particularly under circumstances where a patient's skin must be more carefully safeguarded, such as where reduced quantities of cast padding are employed.
These and other purposes of the present invention will become evident upon review of the following specification.